The Ruler’s Back Lyrics

[Intro]
Woo, woo, woo, woo
I am back, niggas
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha (Uh-oh, uh-oh, woo, woo)
Ladies and gentlemen, H to the izz-O (H to the izz-O)
I wanna thank everybody out there for they purchase
We surely appreciate it (Woo)

What you about to witness is my thoughts (Just my thoughts, man)
Right or wrong
Just what I was feelin' at the time (Uh)
You ever felt like this, vibe with me (Walk with a nigga, man)
Just vibe with me
Yo

[Verse 1]
Gather 'round, hustlers, that's if you still livin'
And get on down to that ol' Jig rhythm

Here's a couple of jewels to help you get through your bid in prison
A ribbon in the sky, keep your head high

I, Young 'Vito, voice of the young people
Mouthpiece for hustlers, I'm back, motherfuckers

Your reign on the top was shorter than leprechauns
Y'all can't fuck with Hov, what type of X y'all on?
I got great lawyers for cops, so dress warm
Charges don't stick to dude, he's Teflon
I'm too sexy for jail like I'm Right Said Fred
I'm not guilty, now give me back my bread
Mr. District Attorney, I'm not sure if they told you
I'm on TV every day, where the fuck could I go to?

Plus - Hov don't run, Hov stand and fight
Hov a soldier, Hov been fightin' all his life so
What could you do to me? It's not new to me
Sue me? Fuck you, what's a couple dollars to me?
But you will respect me, simple as that
Or I got no problem goin' back

I'm representin' for the seat where Rosa Parks sat
Where Malcolm X was shot, where Martin Luther was popped (Come on)
So off we go, let the trumpets blow
And hold on, because the driver of the mission is a pro
The ruler's back

[Interlude]
I am back, niggas
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Turn the motherfuckin' music up (The ruler is back)
I am back, niggas
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Verse 2]
Well, in these times, well, at least to me
There's a lot of rappers out there tryin' to sound like Jay-Z

I'll help you out, here's what you do
You gonna need a wide lens 'cause that's a ver' big shoe
And you got a couple of beans and you don't have a clue?
Your situation is bleek, I'ma keep it real 'cause
Fuckin' with me, you gotta drop a mil'
'Cause if you gonna cop somethin', you gotta cop for real

Don't only talk it, walk like it, from the bricks to the booth
I could predict the future like Cleo the psychic
You can't date skeeos and wife it (Uh-uh)
And you can't sell me bullshit, we know the prices
So what your life is?

We gon' roll 'til the wheels fall off, y'all motherfuckers check the tires
Off we go, let the trumpets blow
And hold on, because the driver of that Bentley is a pro

[Interlude]
The ruler's back
I am back, niggas
Feels good, ha
Pah, holla at me
The ruler's back
Yeah, woo
Yeah, yeah, yeah
[Outro]
Now bounce, come on, bounce
Uh (Woo, woo)
Bounce, come on, bounce
Uh, uh, yeah, yeah
Bounce, come on, bounce
Uh, yeah, just my thoughts, ladies and gentlemen
Just what I'm feelin' at the time, you know what I mean?
You know what I mean?

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About

Genius Annotation

The opening song on Jay-Z’s sixth studio album, The Blueprint, is a tribute to the Slick Rick song of the same name. In addition, it gets back at Nas for a then-recent insult, setting the stage for the full-fledged confrontation that followed.

In an interview with XXL magazine Hov elaborated on his tribute to The Ruler:

I don’t think Slick Rick had enough material. It was unfair that he didn’t get a chance to really be home in the studio and really do that again. So you gotta understand why he’s not there. The Great Adventures of Slick Rick is one of the greatest albums ever made. The Storyteller was brilliant on that. I like to pay homage. I love the culture. I really love the culture. Even to a fault. Sometimes I’m criticized for it. That’s one of the big things. You gotta pay respect to the culture.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did JAY-Z say about "The Ruler's Back"?
Genius Answer

Bink! explained the origins of the beat in an interview with XXL magazine, revealing it was originally made with Black Rob or Loon in mind:

I actually did “The Ruler’s Back” at Daddy’s House, in Puff’s studio. I was working on stuff for Loon or Black Rob. They didn’t take it. The crazy thing is that, the day I went to mix that record, I loaded up the disc with the sample on it, and it was corrupted. So I had to go back to Daddy’s House that day and look through boxes of records to find that actual record, and it killed me. Luckily, my father was in town to see me, and he went to Daddy’s House with me to dig through all of those records.

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